Electric vehicles

After weeks in limbo, the St. Louis County school district says it was able to access more than $8 million in federal funding to pay for its full electric school bus order.

The charging stations are meant to encourage more people to switch to electric cars, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make it easier to drive an EV across Illinois.

The wide-reaching legislation also includes provisions on electric vehicle charging stations, a land bank program and chicken ownership.

A federal program is sending millions of dollars to a handful of St. Louis-area school districts so they can replace diesel buses with all-electric models.

A St. Louis tech startup plans to deliver its first electrified and remote-controlled train cars to mining companies later this year. Intramotev company representatives also hope to market its TugVolt trains to companies that rely on shipping by truck.

In order to comply with a Pentagon mandate to electrify its nontactical vehicles, Fort Leonard Wood is working with Laclede Electric Cooperative to find the best way to add charging stations.

When electric vehicles are plugged in to charge, they pose a risk of fire. While that risk may be small, a Missouri S&T professor wants to know more about how EV fires start and how to best prevent them from damaging nearby people and property.

A free electric vehicle shuttle will allow take people around parts of downtown St. Louis for the next year. City officials say riders can use an app to connect to the service, which will supplement public transportation.

Ameren Missouri will distribute $5 million in incentives to encourage business owners to install electric vehicle charging stations.

Lawmakers and EV companies, like Rivan Automotive, say the provisions in the new law are the next step in promoting Illinois as "the Silicon Valley of EVs."